The number of people immigrating to Turkey increased by 22.4 per cent in 2017, new figures show.
The latest data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), reveals that the number of immigrants arriving to live in Turkey reached 433,333 in 2017.
The statistics show that Istanbul is the favoured destination for new immigrants, with 166,044 people settling there. Capital city Ankara is the second-most popular locale with 46,475 arrivals, followed by Antalya with 21,888 and Izmir with 12,031 new immigrants.
Iraqis were the largest group of foreign immigrants arriving in Turkey in 2017, followed by Afghanis, Syrians, Azerbaijanis and Turkmens.
However, while the number of people arriving to live in the country is growing rapidly, so too are the numbers of people leaving it.
There was a 42.5 per cent increase in the number of Turkish citizens emigrating from Turkey to live overseas, with more than 75,000 people leaving Istanbul alone.
Turkey is traditionally seen as something of a transit destination for migrants aspiring to pursue a life in Europe. Thousands of Turkish residents’ head to the country’s borders with Greece and Bulgaria almost every day in a bid to start a new life in Europe.
Article published 6th September 2018